THIS IS AN ONGOING ACTIVITY. THE NARRATIVE IS UNCHANGED EXCEPT FOR UPDATED

REFERENCES TO TARGETS AND BUDGETS.

1. LIST OF RELATED ACTIVITIES

This activity relates to activities in counseling and testing ((#8976, #8782, #8781, and #8776); palliative care

(#7102, #8936, #8863, #8929, and #8934) and ARV services (#8765, #8792, #8797, and #8813).

2. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

The Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale (AVSI) program will provide quality services to

orphans, vulnerable children (OVC), caregivers and the communities through an operative network of 24

local partners. AVSI will follow a strategic approach, outlined in the following: a) to primarily focus on the

child as a unique and unrepeatable human being, endowed with dignity and potential, and by nature, not

only by necessity, in relationship with family and community; b) to follow a bottom-up approach in the

identification of beneficiaries and the choice and delivery of support, that is, to listen to and involve the

beneficiaries to the highest degree possible in order to provide them with that which is consistent with their

real needs and expectations, in a gender-sensitive manner, and not according to "external" blueprints.

Priority will be given to fostering education, since AVSI considers the educative process of the child the

main concern, even in the most distressful situations, and key for any other development; c) to ensure that

every child supported be cared for by an adult, either in the family or by someone in the community or of a

Community Based Organization (CBO); d) to rely on and to enhance the operational capacity of the CBOs

through close and continuous working relations between AVSI personnel and every single partner, as well

as among the partners themselves through an operational and stable network. The activities and services

combine indirect and direct forms of assistance. Direct assistance will include requirements for school

attendance, learning materials, after-school programs, vocational training, health care, recreational and

emotional support. Indirect assistance will consist of support to quality education, income generating

activities (IGAs), community projects and sensitization and family support. The identification of the children

is done by the local partners who work in strict collaboration with district authorities. This method allows to

reach the most vulnerable ones, not forgetting that HIV/AIDS is but one of the root causes of vulnerability of

children and it is interrelated with other factors including poverty and conflict in what is often a vicious cycle.

AVSI will work in close contact with its local partners and social workers to jointly establish and update the

selection criteria and the characteristics of intervention within each specific community. The identification of

the OVC included as direct beneficiaries of the program is left up to each local partner, because we believe

that they really know the community and the needs of the children inside their community since the live with

them. The activities and services given to each child are decided case by case, according to the personal

and family needs. Direct assistance for school requirements of the OVC represents the main percentage of

child expenditure and assistance, being the need for education the main need of orphans and the best

response for their growth and to promote their self esteem and sustainability for the future. Training and

consultations will be provided for individual partners and local networks to address institutional and

operational weaknesses and to improve capacity, efficiency and quality. AVSI's strategic approach, in any

project and any country, begins with the person at the center, with a "primarily focus on the child as an

unique and unrepeatable human being endowed with dignity and potential, and by nature, not only by

necessity, in relationship with family and community." Consistent with this method and to guide project

implementation, social workers and teachers' training is one of the activities organized specifically to help

adults to pay more attention to the child as a person. The fact that near each child who is supported in the

program there is always an adult/educator to evaluate his/her situation, to respond to his/her needs and the

ones of the family and community, is a method through which each activity is concretely focused on "the

child as a person." Given the number of on-the-ground stakeholders, training activities organized for

teachers, AVSI social workers, local partners, and families can help to harmonize this way of working. The

"Risk of Education" training module takes this principle as its starting point to convey a holistic approach to

the adventure of educating a child.

3. CONTRIBUTION TO OVERALL PROGRAM AREA

This activity will reach 2900 orphans and vulnerable children and train 280 caregivers.

4. LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES

This activity is linked to counseling and testing, home and community support and ARV services.

5. POPULATIONS BEING TARGETED

This activity will target OVC and their caregivers, community leaders, program managers, religious leaders,

volunteers, CBOs, FBOs and NGOs. AVSI will build the capacity of OVC caregivers, such as social workers

and teachers. During the training sessions for the social workers, vulnerability is one of the main topics,

together with the methods of observation of the child, the identification of his/her needs and how to respond.

6. KEY LEGISLATIVE ISSUES ADDRESSED

The individualized approach to the identification and care of beneficiaries, including the choice of direct and

indirect activities to be implemented, is also gender sensitive, in the sense of paying particular attention to

the needs of girls, who are generally underestimated in these countries. The personal adult relationship is

particularly important for girls to receive the attention and services best suited to their life situation. The

other issue to be addressed is stigma and discrimination and wrap around in education and food.

7. EMPHASIS AREAS

Major emphasis area is linkages with other sectors and initiatives and local organization capacity

development. Minor emphasis to be addressed is information, education and communication and

infrastructure.